Chance by Fate
by Tainted Halo
Summary: ((Shounen ai KiteElk)) What happens when Kite and Elk meet in the real world? Elk's in trouble, and Kite's confused... Heh, he doesn't even realize his new classmate is Elk! !Chapter 4! R&R!
1. Chapter One

A/N: This fic is shounen ai. Don't like don't read. ^^ Anyways, this is a rather odd idea I've been pondering for a good while now... And I couldn't help but write it considering it wouldn't leave me alone! ;-; Soo... Kite's an eighth grader, and Elk's a seventh grader. ^^ They attend the same school... Elk is skipping a grade due to social problems...^^;; Poor boy. And, for the purpose of this fic, I'm calling Elk in real life 'Shika', which according to my English/Japanese dictionary means 'deer' which is close enough to 'elk' which wasn't in there. ^^ and that's it enjoy the fic!  
  
Chance by Fate  
  
Chapter One  
  
From the moment I first saw him, I'd sense an edge of familiarity but I wasn't able to place it right then.  
  
He'd come in during the middle of first period timidly slipping inside, nervousness plastered all over his features. His bag was slung over one shoulder, and he stood eyes downcast unsure of what to say in the middle of Miss Mikeru's lecture. It was evident he wanted her attention, though he seemed to be much to frightened to actually do something to get it.   
  
"Miss Mikeru... Someone's here..." I said not bothering to raise my hand. The teacher was young, and nice enough to let it slide... Of course anyone would, the almost pitiable look the boy had.  
  
His face was blank and pale, his eyes an azure blue color that had little shine remaining, and were lined with ebony circles that told stories of many sleepless nights. He stood at a slender height of five three, making me almost a head taller than him. His skin was flawlessly ivory, save for a few dashes of flushed pink that were scattered across his cheeks because of the attention that was now being focused on him. His hair was sleek and an unusual white-silver color that glinted as it descended in odd angles around his heart shaped face.  
  
Miss Mikeru nodded to him, motioning for the boy to approach her desk. He looked apprehensive as with timid but graceful steps he left his lurking position at the doorway and made his way through the aisles to her desk.   
  
"Class this is Shika Reishun, one of our seventh grade students... They've been pondering moving him up a grade for quite a while, and with the new semester coming up Mr. Shai and I have decided that now would be the best time to get him situated," The boy seemed uncomfortable standing up there in front of us all having this unknown woman tell a group of strangers about him... Not that I could blame him.   
  
Miss Mikeru's hazel eyes scanned the room, and with a nod to a question we hadn't heard she continued, "Anyways, Shika will need someone to show him to his classes, and get him used to the people in the class... Kite would you be willing to do that?"  
  
Before I could respond the boy's downcast eyes flashed upwards, wide with confusion as he looked from the teacher to the class.   
  
"Yeah, sure," I said giving a cheerful smile to Shika. In response he gave me a curiously amused look before glancing at Miss Mikeru timidly. "Where should I sit?" His voice was fragile, must like the rest of him, and wispy feather light.  
  
Our teacher frowned, sighing... There was only a single vacant seat in the room, next to my own desk. It was the place Yasuhiko had occupied before...the incident. It was a constant reminder of what had happened, and of the bracelet I had... It was haunting looking at the seat where a once lively and animated boy had sat and now there was nothing.. Just emptiness.   
  
"Well... Until Yasuhiko gets admitted from the hospital you can sit there," Miss Mikeru said, pointing to the seat next to mine. Somehow I felt betrayed by that... Like by sitting someone else there that it wasn't Yasuhiko's anymore... Like he couldn't come back to it. I frowned, almost raising my hand to object but I thought better of it... The kid was nervous enough as it was, I didn't need to terrorize him any more, or make him think that I didn't want to be near him... Besides I didn't feel inclined to explain exactly why it was such a big deal that his chair remain empty.. It just kind of was...  
  
Shika elegantly sat down setting his bag down beside him and pulling out his binder before turning his attention to Miss Mikeru and apparently trying to ignore the curious looks that he was receiving.   
  
Nothing more eventful happened in History that day... A usual... When the bell rang I gathered up my things, all the while feeling Shika's eyes on me. "Lemme see your schedule," I said slinging my bag over my shoulder and turning my focus on him.   
  
He pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper from inside his pocket and handed it to me without a word. "Hmm... You have Science next... I have Language Arts... But they're in the same section..." I said before handing the paper back to him, and exiting the class room.   
  
We walked in silence for a few moments before I asked, "Did you want to switch a grade?"   
  
He shrugged, "I guess so... It's not really a big deal..." I could tell he was lying though I wasn't sure why... I mean why lie about wanting to be in another grade? I shrugged it off, if he wanted to lie then that was fine... It's not like I knew him or anything.  
  
I led him towards the back of the school making sure to keep a watchful eye on him so the boy wouldn't vanish in the midst of the thousand or so people that attended our school. "Okay... Here you go. I'll wait for you after class, okay?" I said glancing at Shika.  
  
The smaller boy nodded, "Alright..." Was all he said before he waved and slipped into the classroom leaving me alone. Sighing and hoping I wasn't going to be late I halfway ran to my class... This was going to be a long day... Especially since I could hardly get my seventh grade 'buddy' to talk to me... I mean how was I supposed to help him make friends if he continued to be anti-social towards me? Of course, I was probably over analyzing the situation... I mean I'd hardly talked to him for more than five minutes... Maybe the stress of The World was finally getting to me... I hoped not.  
  
As soon as I sat down Raine grinned at me, "I hear you're stuck baby sitting the seventh grader..." She teased laughing and rolling her eyes. She was about my height with auburn hair and vividly amused green eyes... When we were younger people used to ask us if we were sibling because we looked quite a bit alike, though it had always gotten on the girl's nerves.   
  
"I wouldn't say baby sitting... It's not like he's even talking to me..." I said sighing. I hated it when people wouldn't talk back or were curt.. Maybe it was because I was such a friendly person that I couldn't understand it... Then again, maybe not.  
  
"He's ignoring you?" Raine asked surprise apparent on her tanned face.   
  
I shrugged, "No... He's just really really shy... Or at least I think so... I don't know him well enough yet."   
  
"Hmm... Well you know I hear they switched him because he was having trouble getting along..." Raine's words were cut off by Mr. Jein's glare.   
  
"Care to take your conversation up after class?" He said curtly before beginning to talk about yesterday's assignment.   
  
After class I didn't have time to talk to Raine... Our teacher had let us out late, though that was no surprise... He was always like that, he got to caught up in whatever he was talking about and then refused to write us passes... Cruel really.  
  
Anyways, Shika was waiting although the bell had already rung. He looked sullen, just standing there alone, motionless in the midst of all the walking students. One particular boy I had never seen before went out of his way to push Shika down. The boy didn't fall though, he swayed backwards and stumbled before regaining his posture and looking the other way.   
  
The other boy said something inaudible and Shika frowned and whispered something which I also couldn't hear. Annoyed and confused I remembered Raine's words and pushed my way through the crowds of kids, making my towards Shika and the strange boy.  
  
"Shika-chan, ready to go?" I asked, grabbing the boy by the arm and pulling him away from the other student.   
  
"Who are you?" The boy asked eyes narrowed in immediate dislike of me.   
  
"I'm Kite, and I'm showing Shika to his next class, we're already going to be late... You'll have to talk to him later," I said brushing off the boy, and tugging Shika along with me.   
  
"Yeah. And I will too," He replied... And there was something hidden in those words that frightened me...   
  
A/N: ^^ Ehh... I'm not sure I liked how this came out... I may or may not continue it depending on if I get enough people who like it or whatnot... *shrug* Just tell me what you think. Continue or no? 


	2. Chapter Two

Chance By Fate  
  
Author's Note: ^^ Whee... An update! Sorry it took so long... I got grounded and stuffness... ^^ Gomen! Review! It makes my day and gets me off my butt and writin'!  
  
To those that reviewed: Shiva Yuki: ^^ Thanks! ^_^ I'm glad you liked it.  
  
Tsukasa-magic: Thanks! ^^ I was a bit worried they might have a been off... ^^ I tend to be a bit OOC at times... x.x  
  
SparkyKnight: Yus! I've read them in the game but Enigma is the only other one I've seen in the real world! Thanks! I've read the fic-It was a really shibby one too... ;-; It sucks they discontinued it...  
  
Animefan581: Yay! Someone who agrees! ^^ Kite doesn't actually date her as far as I know in the game though... so there's still hope! XD  
  
Marduk: Thanks! ^^ I do try!  
  
Dr@gon Princess: Ahhh!!! I'm sure it's fine and dandyyy!! Is it up yet? *clings* I hope so!  
  
Tuanoftheworld: Believe me, I learned that a long time ago... ^^ But if I don't feel like anyone likes it I tend to get depressed about my own writing skills... ^_^ Thanks!  
  
Akemi: Awww! Thankies sooooo much! ^_^ Elk is my favorite too! He's just so cute... I spent hours and hours getting little gifts for him and everything... I know! XD S'why they're meant to be together. *nodnod*  
  
Miyashiko: ^_^ Ohhh! Yay!! My fic got added to someone's favs! XD Yayness! *feels all special* Yay for .hack-ness! XD   
  
Tina: ^_^ Updating as soon as I finish these reader responses!  
  
Silvermoonstar-tenshi: *cowers* Guardians scaaaaaare me. ^^ I mean... Lookait them! ^^ Unless it was mine... *hides beyond Elk* Dun hurt me!  
  
Alley Drendo: ^_^ Thanks for the suggestions! ^_^ I'll totally keep 'em in mind! XD  
  
Saya: BlackRose may or may not be in it... Probably not in the real world anyways, but Natsume might pop up... After all she invited Kite over for dinner in //outbreak!  
  
Kitty Riku and SW: ^_^ Thankies so very much!  
  
Amethyst Bubble: Ohhh... I like your pen name! ^_^ Any who sankies and I ish updating right now and ish very glad you like my ficlet!  
  
Deathkun: ^_^ Thanks! I'm continuing riiiiiight now!  
  
Bladed-Night-Dragon: ^_^ Glad to see such wanting moreness! XD I live off that y'know.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
I made sure that I hovered over Shika for the remainder of the week, taking care to invite him to eat lunch with me and my friends... By then the younger boy had loosened up a bit, if not all the way... But he was actually laughing at the silly jokes I made about the school's food and a genuine smile formed on his pale lips while most of my friends merely rolled their eyes at me... I liked that. Being the holder of the bracelet made me feel important, yes... But being respected and getting looks like that aside from the fact that I was tangled in an online crisis... That was something new.  
  
"So... You must be really smart to be in our grade now," I said giving him a curious glance as we walked through the parking lot, maneuvering around the many cars and teenagers around us. "High school next year and everything." We both walked hope, one thing that surprised me... I couldn't recall ever seeing the tiny boy before, but he claimed he walked home every day. Maybe I just wasn't observant enough.  
  
Shika's tentative smile faltered with my words and he sighed a roll of his delicate shoulders emphasizing his emotions, "No... not really. I think I'm going to be in a bit of trouble as it is..." He shrugged again, "It's better than before though."  
  
I nodded slowly, "Yeah... This year is pretty stressful I can tell you from the half a year I've lived it... Must be worse when you're even younger," I said a teasing hint in my voice.   
  
He laughed, a thin and amused sound that made me smile. "Yeah..." Sighing, as my sense of duty suddenly returned I asked, "Have you ever played that game... The World?" Any information or leads I could collect online or offline were useful.   
  
Shika tensed a bit, but shrugged. "Yeah... A bit." He didn't sound all that interested, and his tone a was a bit edgy but I didn't have time to question him because Shika suddenly burst out an excited grin on his pallid face, "Wanna go to the café?"  
  
I laughed and nodded, only to be pulled by the small boy into the small coffee shop. He sighed, breathing in the fresh and exhilarating smell of coffee and sugar hinted with bread and cafes... I hadn't stopped in here in ages, and Shika was defiantly reminding me what I was missing.   
  
We waited in line for only a few brief moments, our concentration locked on the foods displayed in the glass case... Or at least he was. I couldn't help but allow my attention to stray to the boy who was now expressing a completely different side of himself. Shika was been so timid, so nonchalant... But now he was reduced to the kid everyone held inside. And it was cute.  
  
He ordered a slice of a chocolate desire cake, and a coke while I chose a hot chocolate and a fudge brownie... Total coming to eight dollars. God, that was expensive I thought pulling out my wallet and paying for the both of us. Shika's ivory cheeks flared crimson as I slid the money past his own and for some reason I found that enjoyable.   
  
We munched our food hungrily, eating similar to most teenage boys... Food was food, and junk was best. "I haven't eaten anything that good... I don't even know when..." I said sighing and allowing the warmth of the hot chocolate to envelop me... So warm, so soothing... I could recall very well how much I loved hanging out at the café... and the company was quite enjoyable as well.  
  
"Do you come here a lot?" I asked, watching Shika fiddle with the straw in his drink. He looked up at me and for a second there was a trace of fear in his void azure eyes. He didn't respond right away and he seemed lost in some foreign memory... It was kind of unnerving.   
  
"Shika?" I asked reaching over to touch his hand, only to have him recoil startled and worst of all afraid. But of what? "What's wrong?"  
  
He shook his head, pale white-silver hair flying, "It's nothing... Sorry... I just sort spaced out for a minute there..." He said a smile so forced and false appearing it made me inwardly shudder. Why couldn't everyone just be happy?  
  
"Alright... But you know you can tell me anything," I said giving him the most sincere look I could muster... I wanted him to trust me... To confide in me about the circles around his eyes and the fear that lurked within them... It was strange, but I felt like we'd known each other for months though it had only been hardly a week... Uncanny, no?  
  
Shika didn't reply to that, but instead said, "We should probably get going..." I nodded in response, rising from my seat and turning to leave, only to find myself right in the face of the boy from that first morning... The one that had looked like he was hassling Shika.  
  
"Excuse me," I said, moving to the side to pass only to have him block my path a sneer on his thin lips. "What are you doing here with him?" The boy hissed through off white teeth.   
  
I raised both of my eyebrows, "I was having a snack on our way home." I didn't exactly want things to get troublesome... Though this boy seemed to want to make Shika's life more edgy than it probably already was.  
  
"Kite..." There was a warning in the familiar way he called my name, hidden and pleading... I could tell he didn't want me to get involved in his problems... but that was my duty, wasn't it? Yasuhiko would have done it.   
  
"Shut up, Shika." The words were cold, yet wrought with emotion... None of it pleasant. The younger boy seemed to shrink back, making him smaller than he already was... Shika was obviously frightened of the boy though I wasn't sure why. He may have looked tough but I was older than him, and I certainly did have a bit of experience in battle.  
  
"Don't talk to him like that," I said keeping my tone pleasant and even... As always I wanted to avoid confrontation... It was just so much easier to get by that way.   
  
The boy turned from Shika to me a look of disgust in his dull hazel eyes, "What are you? His guardian? Get real."   
  
I didn't respond, but my fingers locked around Shika's hand before I pulled him upwards and walked around the boy and another table without a second glance back. When we were safely outside a few blocks away I managed to get out, "What is his problem?" I halted my pace, finally releasing Shika's hand turning my gaze on him, concern etched into my features.... But he had resorted back into a blank faced boy, no emotion... Nothing on his face to help me understand...   
  
"Shika..." I said before sighing and continuing down the sidewalk. He wasn't going to talk to me, at least not yet... I'd get him to tell me eventually but for now I just needed to get him home... A rough first day in eighth grade, though somehow I felt this was normal... Though why he was the victim of this I couldn't possibly understand.  
  
"This is my house..." Shika finally said his voice a monotone and his face similar. "Thank you Kite... I'll see you tomorrow," He said, giving another one of those fake smiles before he turned towards his house. The lights were all off and it looked empty and bare... Even the flowers out front were dead... Just a wilted mess of gray and brown... Everything looked so run down...   
  
Leaving him alone didn't set well with me.... But I did it anyway. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chance By Fate  
  
A/N: I am sooo unbelievably sorry for how long this has taken... ::sigh:: I've just been uberly uber busy, and unmotivated towards any of my fanfics... But I'll try and be more constant with my updates... Just keep pestering me if you want to see anything get done, cuz, yea, I'm on spring break this week. :D BTW, Nevyn, I fixed the errors.. And thank you sooo much for pointing them out to me… I thought I fixed them… ^^ Sankuu!  
  
Chapter Three  
  
That night I was haunted my images of that dead house and a frail boy with eyes that called out in a way that words couldn't possibly describe... Needless to say when my alarm clock went off the next morning I awoke startled and scared... I didn't need any more stress in my life, but... It didn't look like I'd been given much of a choice... Besides I wasn't going to fail two friends... Because that was what I wanted Shika to be. My friend.   
  
Shika was late for class that day, I noted with apprehension... Why did I care so much? I mean after all, I was just supposed to help him get accustomed to the grade, not be his baby sitter or anything... Maybe I just cared about people to much.   
  
When the pale boy finally did show up his pale ivory hair hung down into his eyes , covering most of his perfect face. He tried to slide into his seat unnoticed, but tripped over one of my notebooks I'd left on the ground to free up some of the space on the wooden desk that was mine for the hour. Shika landed in an awkwardly twisted position and the hair that hung in front of his eyes had flew away revealing long tear tracks and watery cerulean eyes. He looked a mess to put it frankly... And the whole class was staring... God, for someone like Shika that had to be the worst thing that could ever happen.   
  
I stood up and offered him a hand up with he hesitantly took, using my strength to pull himself from the cold tile ground. When his feet had regained their position of being on the ground, Shika slipped into his desk, nervously pulling on his hair to cover the trails of water that lingered around the circles that looped under his eyes. That little action of self consciousness sparked an anger inside me that could not be stopped. Why would Shika be sobbing so early in the morning?   
  
Shika didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. Not once did he meet my searching gaze or open that small mouth of his to answer my questions. And so I let it go, for the moment. And only for the moment. I wouldn't be so easily ignored after school where there were no teachers to tell me to stop interrupting their pointless lessons.   
  
I didn't run into Shika for the rest of that day, nor the days after that. He was out of school for the week before he came back once again, looking a little better though the rings under his eyes had yet to vanish. But at least he was back, and looking better... But still I couldn't forget the way the watery lines that had run down his face had looked... It seemed frozen in my mind.  
  
The day he came back I lost Shika during the masses of hungry kids waiting for lunch... There were way to many kids for be to be able to keep track of such a small boy even with his uncanny yet beautiful hair... Waitasec... Gah... Well he was pretty, in a feminine sort of way. Someone that needed a hero. But I wasn't going to think about that sort of thing. Shika knew where I ate lunch, so... He'd have to turn up eventually.   
  
I grabbed my lunch taking a seat in between my friends Raine and Kiki, Yasuhiko's girlfriend... Just by looking at her face you could tell she was in a world of pain... I wondered what she would think if she knew that I had been there at the very moment that Yasuhiko had become comatose, even if it was in the game. It was a secret I'd kept from all my friends, that I had been there and that I continued to live in that virtual reality more than this one.  
  
"Where's Shika?" Raine asked glancing around curiously. I merely shrugged, "I don't know.. I lost him in the crowd. He'll turn up though, I'm sure..." Even as I said those words I wasn't all that sure.. But I was hoping and that was something wasn't it?  
  
"He was crying in first period on Monday," I confided, the words coming out suddenly, though I hadn't even thought about telling anyone... But it had escaped out of my lips, like a fire that needed to be spread. I was concerned although I had been repressing it. Shika had been part of our group and then vanished so suddenly... He'd been easily accepted, and I was decently sure that my small circle of friends were fond of him... So it would be okay if they knew, wouldn't it? After all, my whole class knew about it.   
  
"Really?" Raine said, though she didn't seem that surprised. "My little sister used to be friends with him, a few months ago. I was asking about him... She says that he wasn't always like this, but he has been for the last few months... Ever since he broke off his friendship with Kaerir, this boy in his grade... He's been hassling him, and stuff..." Raine shrugged, sighing. "Maybe the kid said something that made Shika-chan brake down."   
  
I blinked, slowly taking in all the information that my friend had just provided. I was surprised that Raine had more information on the boy than I had ever had access to in all the times I'd spent with him... And still he had yet to tell me anything about him... I nodded slowly, suddenly know that I needed to find Shika. He would have been here by now... And if he was being hassled... I had to do something about it. Not another friend was going to get in trouble if I could prevent it. Not again.   
  
I scrambled up from the table startling my friends, and knocking over my Coke... Oh well, it wasn't important... They could clean it up if bothered them that much, I thought as I walked through the now deserted outdoor corridors of the school, looking for Shika, or that guy that was really beginning to irritate me... I wouldn't let Shika cry again.  
  
As I walked around the corner, a flash of silver caught my attention and I twirled around, to find Shika and that boy, Kaerir, it had to be. "Please... Why don't you just leave me alone? I've done enough, won't you just stop?" Came Shika's frail voice that was obviously afraid.   
  
The boy shook his head, a grin that was malice filled covering his lips, "These opportunities are just to convenient to let go of," He replied laughing.   
  
"Fuck off," I hissed at the boy, walking steadily over to the two, and pushing the taller boy, so that his grip on Shika's wrists faltered. I wasn't one for cursing like that, but nonetheless, I was annoyed. No, that was an understatement. This kid was doing something to Shika, some sort of deal or something... And I wasn't going to let it go on anymore.   
  
"What are you going to do about it? You don't even know the half of it, so stay the fuck out of it... Or wait, has Shika even told you? Told you about our little bargain, about his parents?" The boy's grin turned even crueler, if that was even possible... What could possess someone to try and hurt Shika, to turn him into this weak and self conscious being that he had become...   
  
"I don't care about any of the circumstances. I just want you to leave him alone. There's nothing to justify the way you're harassing him," I said my tone cold and steady. I wasn't going to back down.   
  
"Well, blackmail can be handy. Don't tell me you've never used it to get something you've wanted...? You can't be so perfect, that you wouldn't understand. He could go tell someone if he really wanted to..." Kaerir shrugged, my words obviously having no impact on him... It figured.   
  
"I wouldn't do that. Don't you see what you're doing?" I demanded, my hands reaching out for Shika's and pulling him close to my side, to show that I wouldn't allow him to stay here.   
  
This only seemed to amuse the boy further, "I knew I was right. You see he doesn't mind being that close to you... But you would have me to thank for that wouldn't you? Oh wait, that's right, Shika never told you. Wouldn't want you to think badly of him, or anything..."   
  
"Shika..." I whispered, as he pulled on my hand, trying to get me to walk away... His eyes were watering again, though this time in pure sorrow... He knew what the boy was going to say, and he didn't want me to hear it.   
  
"Please.. Kaerir.. I'll do whatever later... But... Can't you just leave Kite out of it? Just this once, please..." He was near sobbing now, showing the most emotion I had ever seen him display, in all the time I'd known him... He looked beautiful in his agony, his face so expressive and pleading...   
  
"What? Are you worried he'll think you're a slut? Or maybe it'll ruin your friendship?" He laughed coldly, "But that can't be all you want after being with me... I mean he does have a certain attractiveness to him, wouldn't you say, Shika?"   
  
I blinked, trying to put all of these things I'd heard together... God...   
  
"You raped him, didn't you? For some secret, Shika never told... God..." I felt so numb like my body was frozen... Shika...   
  
A/N: Reviewwww! And I'll update soon, cuz, I'm gonna be home allll weeeekkkk! :D 


	4. Chapter Four

Chance by Fate  
  
A/N: New chapter!! Teehee, yay for motivation… I got two extra days off from school, and I'm at this kewl hotel… So yeah, I fixed the errors that were pointed out by Nevyn… Thank you muchness for telling me about them, cause I had thought I'd fixed it before… ^^ I would have never noticed, so thanks! ^_^   
  
Chapter Four  
  
I was horrified to say that least… I was in the eighth grade for god's sake; you wouldn't think I'd be confronted with something like this… But things began to click inside my mind, making the fact that I wanted more than anything to deny become more of a reality every second.   
  
"So what if I did?" Kaerir said shrugging his shoulders and sending a cold cruel glare at me and the figure of Shika who had crumpled behind me, completely defeated.   
  
I shook my head shocked… How could Shika let this go on? "You'll be arrested… That's a crime, you ass hole," I nearly spat, my hand drifting to Shika's shoulder trying in that small act to comfort him.   
  
"You think he'd testify? He won't tell anybody, he's been a good little bitch until you showed up, and if you knew what was best for him you'd fuck off too." The boy crossed his arms over his chest defiantly, his nonchalant attitude driving me over the edge.   
  
I gave into the anger that had been boiling inside me and screamed as I ran at the boy shoving him off those cocky little feet. "You... You deserve to idie/i." I couldn't even recognize those words as my own; they were so completely filled with disgust and hate… I have never felt so much pure rage for another living thing in my entire life as I felt in that moment…   
  
Kaerir just continued to smirk as he climbed upwards throwing a punch in my direction, "Don't mess with me, I could easily take you down," He said as his fist impacted upon my stomach… I'd never been punched before in my life, but it seemed that today was just a day filled with firsts.   
  
"Shika, get out of here," I mumbled at the scrunched up boy who was holding his knees up to his chest like he was dying of internal pain…Which I could easily imagine he was.   
  
"Oh, you don't want him to see you get your ass whooped? Well, it's not like he hasn't seen anything like that before, eh Shika?" He laughed once again, but this time I was just sick of it, and I lunged at him, tackling him down beneath me…  
  
"I don't think so," Kaerir informed me, pushing my fists away from his face, and flipping himself over, and reversing our positions. "I should rape you too; you'd probably be a lot more fun, put up more of a struggle… But at the moment, I'll settle to take my revenge for your interference," He said his tone even and calm as his fists impacted with my stomach again and again until my vision blurred… And then I was gone, away from here, my struggles to hold onto consciousness futile.  
  
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When my eyes drifted back open I wasn't at school anymore… I didn't exactly know where I was, but I didn't really care at that particular moment… I was more concerned with the pain in my sides and stomach… I had never been in an actual fight with anyone… Not in the real world anyway... If it had been in The WORLD, I was sure I would have been the one to win…  
  
"Kite?" Squeaked Shika's voice hesitantly as I tried to sit up in a bed I was beginning to recognize as my own… The red cotton blankets and the giant blue pillow…Definitely mine.  
  
"Yep," I replied flinching as the pain shot through my body once again… so moving wasn't the greatest plan.   
  
"Your parents let me stay here until you woke up… I…uhmm… told them I needed to talk to you as soon as you got up…" He said his voice uncertain and breaking easily... It was obvious he wasn't sure what to say after the previous events… I probably knew more about him than anyone now.  
  
I nodded slowly, motioning for him to sit down on the bed beside me, "What happened after I passed out?" I asked, though really all I wanted to know was why and how this whole mess had been started… But that would come when Shika decided to tell me about it.   
  
"Well Miss Mejimi walked by and saw ihimi beating you up… and uhmm… she called the ambulance and he was sent to the office… and umm… then you went to the hospital, and they took care of you for a while, but your parents didn't want you to wake up in a hospital all alone so, um, they took you back here, and I'd been waiting on the front steps… Because this is all my fault…" Shika choked back a sob, and quickly brushed his hands across his eyes while taking a deep breath… I could already tell he must have been crying more than anybody I'd ever known... But he obviously didn't want to start bawling right here.   
  
"I'm so sorry... I'm being so weak, and you're just… Being so... You've always been like this… I never asked for your help but you always want to..." Shika sighed, his heads falling to hands pathetically. He really was broken…   
  
I shook my head, "Don't worry about it… I didn't have to fight. I wanted to, I chose it… I was just so… so angry…" I sighed, my hands reaching over to Shika's chin and pulling it upwards. "Don't you hide like that from me. It's okay… You can cry if you want to."  
  
"Kite…" Was all he said, but his eyes said enough… Those vacant eyes of his were for once filled with something even if it was just gratitude and his trust… Shika trusted me.   
  
After several moments of silence, neither of us knowing quite what to say, Shika opened his mouth to begin what had to be his story... But before he could start I cut him off, saying earnestly, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to.. Just remember that, Shika."   
  
The boy nodded giving me a half-smile, "My father killed my mom about a year ago," He said very slowly after taking a deep breath… He was trying to be composed, trying so hard… But now I was the one in a state of shock… so I'd expected something horrible, but not… well imurder/i.   
  
"And… he stabbed me, and left me for dead… I watched my mother die, unable to move to call the police… I passed out soon after she died… They only found us the next morning both bathed in our blood…" He paused, closing his eyes and breathing loudly and deeply… He was trying to keep his composure… But gods, with a story like that… Shika had been through so much.. I just wanted to keep him safe, forever…   
  
"My mom was dead… And my father was sentenced to life in prison… with parole…" He added the last part with a grimace before sighing. "And I lived with my older brother, Genji… We tried to get on with our lives the best that we could… But… My brother told Kaerir… Kaerir was his friend even though he's in middle school… Umm… At first… It was just…" Shika blushed, looking down at his hands, "Favors because he said he didn't want it to accidentally slip what a psychotic family I was from… After all I had just moved here with Genji… I'd lived with our parents lived up north a few cities away… And then one day he said he was going to tell everyone everything, about how I'd just…"  
  
A few tears fell down his pale face, which he quickly brushed away. "Let my mom die… And so I let him…" He shrugged, his eyes still downcast… "And then he just started doing it all the time… He was just young and… and…horny…" Shika blurted out, looking embaressed. "And I didn't want anyone to know so I just… stopped caring about what he did to me… I didn't want these people to hate me or my family like they had before.. Every time I went anywhere they would all whisper about us... How my father was insane, and likely to be put to death, how I had to be sent to live with my teenage brother...Genji… He noticed something… So he had my grade switched because he thought it was someone in my grade hassling me…" Shika shook his head slowly, before he completely broke down… All the tears he'd tried to hide from me came pouring out of his eyes, like streams just let loose from a dam of sorrow... "I'm…so sorry… Kite… I didn't mean… to get you…involved…" He choked out, his eyes finally reaching out to mine.   
  
"It's okay. I want to be involved," I replied smiling down at the boy.   
  
"Kite…" He looked up at me, and then all of a sudden leaned up and kissed me on the mouth. It was so sudden and light it took me a moment to realize that he was indeed kissing me. But when he pulled away his eyes were wide and frantic, as the realization of what he'd done settled in him.   
  
"Oh god… I just… I've never told anyone.. I was just so… I don't know…" He looked up at me again, this time his eyes begging for forgiveness… I was still to shocked that he'd actually kissed me, my first kiss at that… How could he even want to kiss anyone, after being raped? I couldn't fathom that, but nonetheless… I didn't really mind… I knew I should be disgusted and thinking what the hell, did a iboy/i just kiss me? But I wasn't concerned with that at all…   
  
"It's okay, Shika… I don't mind. It's you.. It's you who should mind," I told him, sighing and shaking my head as I looked at him. And this time when our eyes met, a smile formed on his lips.   
  
A/N: Wh000t… I finished it! ^_^ I'm so proud of myself, with such a quick update… Aren't you all thrilled? Well anyways, review, because that's what makes me decide to write another chapter versus play a game or be lazy. ^.~ so review! XD It'll make my day.. I just love opening my mail box and finding a review alert… ^^;;; Okay, so maybe there is something wrong with me.. But oh well. ^^ Review, and oh, if any of you have any Kite/Elk fics you should tell me. XD I love reading them. ^_^ Toodles! 


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